General Discussion

WillowTree

(5,325 posts)

43. Neither a free speech nor a free press issue.

Tue May 3, 2016, 04:26 PM

May 2016

Last edited Tue May 3, 2016, 05:31 PM - Edit history (1)

The cartoonist was free to express himself in the cartoon as he saw fit. but let's remember that it's editorial content, not news.

The paper was free to publish the cartoon as it's editorial board saw fit.

The offended company was free to pull their advertising from a paper it felt had dissed them by the cartoon.

Where I take a bit of an issue is with the firing of the cartoonist. Not that the paper wasn't within their rights to release any employee who they feel has cost them business, but it seems to me that, if they were going to let someone go, the fault should really lie with the editor who allowed the "offending" cartoon to be published.

Free speech and freedom of the press are assured by the constitution, but there are no guarantees that there will never be any backlash, justified or otherwise. Like the old saying, "You pays your money and you takes your chance."

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Long-time Iowa farm cartoonist fired after creating this cartoon [View all] SecularMotion May 2016 OP

I can't see the cartoon?! Damn. nt haikugal May 2016 #1

Here is a picture of the cartoon: villager May 2016 #3

Thanks, censorship is in play all over the land of the free. Welcome to the Oligharchy. haikugal May 2016 #5

Don't ever forget! We're "free," here! Why, we even get to "vote!" villager May 2016 #6

Heart breaking isn't it? I think it's supposed to be, which is why some of us will not yield! haikugal May 2016 #7

.+1 840high May 2016 #40

Bernie Pulled Back The Curtain..... scottie55 May 2016 #87

Why, we even get to "vote!" Not all of us. SammyWinstonJack May 2016 #12

True -- the PTB feel it even less necessary to even keep up *that* appearance... nt villager May 2016 #25

Sometimes our votes are not counted even if we can vote. Enthusiast May 2016 #78

... ChisolmTrailDem May 2016 #28

Ichingcarpenter has been booted....has no idea why. We know why. nt haikugal May 2016 #42

Seriously? Wow, their purge is now without pretense. No more "pretending" at "D""U." nt. villager May 2016 #69

No! Pastiche423 May 2016 #76

Remember when we were kids the government always told us how bad it was in the Soviet Union? Enthusiast May 2016 #60

Why yes, yes I do...I also remember the nuclear bomb drills...duck and cover, yeah that would help! haikugal May 2016 #62

It's not censorship zeemike May 2016 #73

Yeah, I saw that..silly us! We were raised to believe we had rights and to fight for them. haikugal May 2016 #75

. AxionExcel May 2016 #29

Fired for speaking the truth? Lame! Initech May 2016 #35

That's what "journalism" means today. Applies to satirists, too. If it's not a lie, it can't be valerief May 2016 #64

. haikugal May 2016 #88

Here's the cartoon Skinner May 2016 #2

Well he should know that facts malaise May 2016 #15

...not about the profiteering of the toxic GMO-Herbicide-Pesticide-Fungicide Farm Borg, Inc. AxionExcel May 2016 #27

and the results are in! yuiyoshida May 2016 #37

Unreal, trigger warnings? Seriously? My gawd. haikugal May 2016 #44

Tell that to the survivors of zombie attacks jberryhill May 2016 #53

LOL haikugal May 2016 #54

Possibly even funnier than you may realize Major Nikon May 2016 #56

. haikugal May 2016 #58

My list of ridiculous alerts keeps growing d_legendary1 May 2016 #50

ooooh ZOMBIES !!! They're coming to take me away ho ho hee hee ha haaa To the funny farm Where life vkkv May 2016 #92

Maybe need a "safe hurt feelings" forum? Separation May 2016 #95

How many clicks to get to the cartoon? (Never mind. Got it.) Iggo May 2016 #4

Monsanto was the company complaining n/t xloadiex May 2016 #8

Not a surprise there! elljay May 2016 #13

You've got that right - Monsanto is pure evil groundloop May 2016 #17

I'm not so sure of that. eggplant May 2016 #26

What??? freebrew May 2016 #86

I think it was actually a seed dealership robbob May 2016 #18

Seed dealership dynamo99 May 2016 #38

No, the seed dealership would be DuPont Pioneer. sinkingfeeling May 2016 #49

That's a shame ProudToBeBlueInRhody May 2016 #9

Every day we go down a little farther in the rabbit hole Kalidurga May 2016 #10

The fourth estate is now a plantation malaise May 2016 #16

Excellent point. jwirr May 2016 #22

The fourth plantation is a very good description, but it sure doesn't roll of the tongue easy. Kalidurga May 2016 #65

That's our only hope malaise May 2016 #67

Never again RecoveringJournalist May 2016 #11

IIRC due to Iowa's convoluted tax laws Monsanto and Deere pay few rurallib May 2016 #14

The cartoon nailed it. The profit in farming has always been jwirr May 2016 #19

Somebody has to post it . . . Jack Rabbit May 2016 #20

Thanks for the link --- posted to my FB page. Petrushka May 2016 #68

And that's why large corporations advertise ... aggiesal May 2016 #21

Not so much a free speech issue as freedom of the press, mountain grammy May 2016 #23

Neither a free speech nor a free press issue. WillowTree May 2016 #43

Good points, but corporate influence over news and editorial content mountain grammy May 2016 #51

But not really "as in this case". WillowTree May 2016 #52

It may be commentary mountain grammy May 2016 #83

I'm with you, grammy. Enthusiast May 2016 #79

Thanks Enthusiast! mountain grammy May 2016 #84

k & r surrealAmerican May 2016 #24

It's sad that an editorial cartoonist doesn't understand the First Amendment. bluedigger May 2016 #30

He understands how it protects corporations. n/t jtuck004 May 2016 #48

Maybe there will be an attack by Anonymous or a phone line jam organized by Friday's supporters. Hoppy May 2016 #31

Just to show how powerful the oligarchies are in this state--------------- turbinetree May 2016 #32

To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticise keithbvadu2 May 2016 #33

Uh, that was actually a DAVID DUKE quote, IIRC, not Voltaire. Odin2005 May 2016 #34

Voltaire did not say it? keithbvadu2 May 2016 #41

nope, seems not Sentath May 2016 #77

I looked it up on the internet and it said Voltaire. keithbvadu2 May 2016 #80

Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe May 2016 #36

Wow, amazing, and fucked up Fast Walker 52 May 2016 #39

Those CEOs pay good money to trolls to do damage control Generic Other May 2016 #45

I want him nominated for.............. mrmpa May 2016 #46

Don't look directly at the Masters. Spitfire of ATJ May 2016 #47

Well, know the farmers should have all heard about it by now and know that Farm News is a Dustlawyer May 2016 #55

"Monsanto, DuPont Pioneer and John Deere combined made more money..." Dont call me Shirley May 2016 #57

The Idea is the Thing. Octafish May 2016 #85

True. Also true is the ravaging greed of the top layers of these mega-opolies. While 2129 hard, Dont call me Shirley May 2016 #93

Those three CEOs working as a team can't keep up with one farmer for a day. Octafish May 2016 #94

One farmer does more hard work in one day than the 3 doughboys do in 3 years. Dont call me Shirley May 2016 #97

What did the cartoonist expect drawing a picture of Mo... Hugin May 2016 #59

The paper lost advertising IronLionZion May 2016 #61

Unacceptable, comrade cartoonist. tabasco May 2016 #63

Don't mess with Monsanto Doctor_J May 2016 #66

kick n/t JohnyCanuck May 2016 #70

Don't bite the hand that takes your food. dchill May 2016 #71

This should not have happened. HuckleB May 2016 #72

Post removed Post removed May 2016 #74

Great cartoon! Nitram May 2016 #81

Farm News. I wonder, if they asked the farmers this publication is supposed to be for jtuck004 May 2016 #82

Monsanto strikes again. avaistheone1 May 2016 #89

I called them! Farm News Phone:(515) 574-4451 vkkv May 2016 #90

"In year 2015 the CEOs of Monsanto, DuPont & John Deere combined made more money than 2,129 farmers" Bucky May 2016 #91

kick Liberal_in_LA May 2016 #96

NY Times article today SomeGuyInEagan May 2016 #98